Middletown



STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GERARD SICKELS, OF MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO G. L. F. GRISWOLD, OF'

MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 3,845, dated December 4, 1844.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GERARD SICKELS, of the town of Middletown, co-unty of Middlesex, and State of Connecticut, have made,

constructed, and applied to use a new and` useful Improvement in Sofa-Bedsteads, the machinery of which I describe as follows.

Make the end of the sofa hollow by leaving a passage through it from front to back of two or more inches in width. Fit into this passage two pieces of wood one of such shape and size thatit may be placed perpendicularly at the back part of the passage and extend from the bottom of the pasf` Asage upward six inches or more above the i Fig. 3, the bedstead form. y

The same letters and characters refer to like parts in all the figures.

Letter A is the upright piece; a pin or bolt is put through it about 5 inches from the top and about the same distance from the back at point l whereby said piece may be swung nearly into a horizontal position. The next piece of wood marked B is square and long enough to reach from the bottom end of said upright piece (where it is jointed at point 2) forward to the iron castings neXt to be described whereto it is jointed at point 3, thus forming a connect-- ing rod. Said cast iron is curved in shape (see letter C). Its upper end is jointed to the castiron plate D which plateis fastened to the upper front part of the sofa end at point 4. The lower end of said casting C is firmly fastened to the front rail E. The

lback rail F is in like manner firmly fas-V tened to the top end of the upright piece A. The machinery in the other end of the sofa is of course) constructed in like manner and secured to the rails, E, and F, in the manner above described. Now by reference to Fig. l, it will be seen if the front rail E be drawn forward it will by reason of the curvature of lever C, jointed at point 4, gradually arise and assume the position denoted in Fig. 3. In this motion the connecting rod or lever B must draw upon the lower end of lever A which being hinged at point l, must necessarily cause the back rail to fall downward and backward till the form of Fig.` 3 is produced. A sacking being fastened to the rails E, and F, in the manner of a common cross bedstead is drawn taut by the distention of the rails. For the purpose of keeping the rails in their distended position the seat board G is hinged on the back side of the rail E and is consequently drawn out with the rail till the back edge of said board drops into notches made for that purpose in the cleats upon which the board rests when the sofa is in the form of Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig'. l it will be seen that the points l, Q, 3, are in a line so that any pressure backward upon the back rail will not tend in the least to displace` the front rail.

lWhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 'Ihe manner of throwing out the front and back at the same time by means of levers (at or in the` ends of the sofa) thereby changing from bedstead to sofa and vice versa at pleasure.

Dated at lsfliddletown this 9th day of November, A. D. 18423.

. GERARD SICKELS.

Titnesses DENNIS SAGE, JOHN CA'rToN. 

